Recently, I’ve become fascinated by Chinese culture and history. My curiosity even influenced my latest movie choice, the Chinese classic ‘Raise the Red Lantern’.

Directed by Zhang Yimou, the film is set in the 1920s and tells the story of Songlian (Gong Li). Songlian is a 19-year-old college student who must abandon her education after her father's death.

From the story, it’s clear her father was wealthy enough to fund her university studies. But after his passing, her stepmother didn’t want to continue spending on her. Instead, the stepmother preferred to keep the inheritance for herself, finding it easiest to marry Songlian off.

Songlian agrees to marry into the household of a wealthy, unnamed master, stepping into a life that quickly proves turbulent.

As the “fourth mistress,” Songlian joins the ranks of the master’s other wives, each confined within a life of luxury that demands submission. In this grand yet oppressive household, she becomes part of a rigid hierarchy where survival depends on cunning, deception, and relentless competition for the master’s favour. Trapped in this gilded cage of tradition, Songlian must navigate a world where power plays and manipulation are essential tools.

The first wife, Yuru, is the embodiment of traditional obedience. The second wife, Zhuoyun, initially appears kind and gentle, but her manipulative nature is revealed as the film progresses. The third wife, Meishan, is a former opera singer, passionate and rebellious, but her resistance is ultimately met with devastating consequences. Each woman embodies a different survival strategy in the house.

I imagine the first wife, Yuru, was likely the Master's childhood sweetheart. However, as he grew more powerful and wealthy, he saw Yuru’s beauty fading. Blinded by his power, he allowed himself to be led by pleasure, eventually deciding to marry another woman.

The red lanterns of the title are symbolic; they are lit at the residence of the wife the master chooses to spend the night with. Thus, the lantern becomes an emblem of favour and power, as well as a tool of manipulation.

The red lanterns are the most potent symbol in the film. Glown with intense crimson light, they represent not only the fleeting power each mistress holds when chosen by the master but also the perverse nature of their competition.

When a lantern is lit, it signifies the master’s favour, which comes with privileges such as massages, attention, and authority over the servants. However, this favour is temporary, as the women are pitted against one another in a constant battle for validation.

Therefore, the red lanterns become a metaphor for the illusion of power and autonomy. They appear to grant the mistresses control, but in reality, it is the master who wields the ultimate authority. This reduces the women to mere objects, competing for their fleeting affection. Moreover, the tradition of lighting the red lanterns becomes a ritualistic display of dominance and objectification of women in a patriarchal society.

Not only that, but it is even possible to read the red lanterns as a reference to the Chinese Communist Party. The colour red is an official colour of the Chinese Communist Party. In this context, I feel like the red lanterns could symbolise the Communist Party's pervasive control over individuals’ lives, much like the master’s dominance over the wives. Just as the wives never challenge the master’s authority, citizens in a totalitarian regime quietly submit to authority.

Similarly, the austere, symmetrical layout of the household further amplifies the suffocating atmosphere. The courtyard, with its high walls and shadowy corridors, serves as both a physical and psychological prison for the women.

Initially, Songlian tries to assert herself against her fellow wives and even attempts to manipulate the lantern ritual in her favour. She lies about being pregnant so that she can have the Master every night with her. As the lie is revealed, she soon realises that she is merely a pawn in a game where autonomy is an illusion.

Unlike the other wives, the third wife, Meishan, has a vibrant personality and an air of defiance, which makes her stand out in the household. Meishan’s background as a performer suggests that she was once used to adoration and freedom but now finds herself trapped in the monotonous life of the master’s household. Most importantly, she has an affair with the family doctor.

The relationship between Meishan and the doctor is fueled by a need for intimacy and genuine affection, which is absent in her relationship with the master. Her affair can be interpreted as a form of rebellion against the master’s control, a way for her to assert her autonomy and fulfil her own emotional and physical desires.

However, when the affair is exposed, the consequences are severe and brutal. Ultimately, Meishan receives a merciless punishment. She is taken away and hanged, a fate that serves as a warning to the other wives about the dangers of defiance.

Although the film does not rely on overt violence, it was a harrowing watch.

At its core, ‘Raise the Red Lantern’ critiques patriarchal structures and the dehumanising effects of tradition. Yimou does not shy away from exposing women's harsh realities in a system where their relationship with a man determines their worth.

Although the film is set in 1920s China, its portrayal of women fighting for limited power and recognition is a universal and timeless narrative. The wives in the film can reflect the modern workplace, where women often face competition in male-dominated environments.

The themes of coercive control, domestic abuse, and the silencing of women’s voices are still seen today in movements like #MeToo. All in all, more than three decades after its release, the themes explored in the movie remain relevant.

Raise the Red Lantern

Director: Zhang Yimou

Cast: Gong Li, He Saifei, Jingwu Ma

Duration: 125 minutes

Year: 1991

Language: Mandarin